Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-10-22

II all depends on this youth. Vanish,
Boule-de-neige, and serve"
There was evidently something in my
hosts mind by the way he sighed. Why
did 1t depend upon met And did Boule-
de-neige go through the floor? Did the
table ! when he disappeared, and come
up loaded with dishess 1t seemed SO,
Isprang from the couch. The sight and
smell OF the food brought back my raging
hunger.
"1et me eatH' I cried.
"You shall. One moment first-only q
single moment. Young man, tell me
again and explicitly the nature and ex-
tent of your appetite. Be truthful, oh,
be truthful Our little tongues should
never lie for mutton chop or apple pie.
You know the hymn. I hope you have
been rengiously brought up, and know
! that hymn"
"I've got q devil of an appetite. What
is there to lie abouts"
"My dear young friend, there are many
kinds Of appetites. Yours may be fierce
at first and promise great things, and
then end in 4 miserably small perform
ance. I have known such and mourned
to see them. Is it y lasting appetite, now2
Is 1t steady through a long dinner! Is it
regular in Its recurrence"
"You shall see something Of my per.
formance," I laughed, i~nsensate wretch.
"You shall see. never had u long din.
ner in my life, because I always made
short work Of mine. 1t Is steady through
a good many. pounds of steak, and as
regular as q clock"
"That is always something. Steak IL
as healthy a test as I know. Is it, sec.
| ondly, an appetite that RECEIVERS itself
quickly? That is very important. Is IL a
day by day or al hour by hour appetite,
Is 1t good at all times Of the daye", Il
ssAlas, I wish it were not" T.,
"Hush, young man; do not blasphcme,
Tell me, II you cat your I'LL now-it is
do you think you might he
ready again. His eyes glistcned like &
couple of great rubies in the candle light,
and his hands trcmbled.
II should soy about 8. But l might dc
something light at Z, l dare say. Just
now I feel as IL I could eat a mountain"
sHe feels as If he could cat a mountain!
Wonderful are the gifts of Providence!
Ny dear young friend, 1 am very thankful
deeply thankful-that l met you. Sit
down, and let me take the covers off for
you; I long to see you cot. This is a
blessed day-a truly blessed day! l will
wait upon you myself. No one else.
Boule-de-neige, vanish!'
As he was about to take of the covers
he stopped short.
"Stay. You are without occupation?'
81 can get noEe."
"You are of any tradcs"
~ am an actor"
ga bad trade-an m Christian trade.
Actors are %vagabonds by act Of parlia-
mcnt. Actors can never be in q state of
/ CYr0Rn I ShOVN I'm hnn,Ny To- l>nSr,.. a., 1,~~
BILE instrument In removing you from a
calling fatal to the Christian warrior.
Why did you leave your last situation;
No dishonesty! No embezzlement? No
! .e,npering with %accountsi''
"Sir, i!aave always been an honest man.
And, besides, / s..::ye never been tempted
by the handling OF other peoples money"
Hal You have got no wife,"
mo, sir; l am unmarried"
You have got nO-- ! trust l All
taking to my bosom no deceiver Of women.
You are not the father of an illegiti,nate
offspring, ! hope and pray"
"NO sir; l am not"
young man, you are about to enter
upon q most serious act, perhaps the most
serious act Of your life, and these ques-
lions may appear to you trivial and tedi-
GUS. AS II Christian, and a member of
the congregation Of Mr.. - But never
mind; you are hungry now, and wish to
eat. We will talk after dinner"
lie took off the covers. The table was
spread with u dozen different dishes, all
served up together. Others l noticed,
standing with bottles and %decanters, Oh IL
large sideboard. AS my generous bcnc-
factor removed the silver covers, hts face,
which had assumed during his question.
ing an austere gravity, suddenly lii up,
and no laughed as the perfume Of the hot
food mounted to his nostrils. He seemed
all at once a different man.
"Gently, gently, my dear young friend.
Here Is a dinner fit for u king; tit for me,
if l could eat IL. Oh! my duinty Boule.
dc-neige! IIa! is 1t right to waste such a
dinner on u youth whose only dreams are
of a sufflclency of steak! Young nun, in
after years-ahem!-in after days you
will remember this dinner. You will re-
call every item in this delicious bill OF fare
which Boule-l -ncige has set before You.
Let me teach you to eat 1t properly.
Weigh your mOrsels."
Heaven! how l cursed his delay. lie
kept one great hand between Inc and the
dishes, for fear, / suppose, that I should
pounce upon them and clear them off all
ut once.
"Patience, patience. Consider each
mouthful. Try to DO thankful that cooks
have brought their divine art to such per-
lection. Carry back your thoughts to-
grunt-tO time when all mankind fed
upon imperfectly cooked steak. Think
that all the treasures OF the east and west
have been ransacked to furnish for me
this meal, and that you will never, never,
sec such q dinner again as long ns you
live"
At all events, 1 never saw such u meal
again as long as he lived.
Eve will now" he said, with Il back
ward wave OF his right hand, CONSIDER
| dinner as q science"
ooh, sir!" exclaimed, 81 am so
hungry"
cts beautiful to see you hungry, but I
must not let you hurry. Eat us much as
you like when you begin, but gently,
~gently-easily and gently. Think Of the
future. Think of me-"
Istared at him in wonder.
"Think Of you sir3''
"Why, what would happen TO Inc II,
you really destroyed your appetite, or
even yourself in swallowing q bone!"
thought he must he mad.
"Young man, he went on, '.you will
say a grace before meat, if you remember
one.n
did not.
"Thcn 1 will say one for you. Oh!
wretchcd trade Of stage acting. He does
not even know q single grace before
lleat."
Then he began to help me-and we
went on with dinner without further in
terruption. He kept up a running accom-